Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Cutting Concrete with a Regular Circular Saw

If you're nervous because all the contractors are using big expensive specialized saws, I'm here to tell you it's easy.  Just go spend $25 on a 7" diamond blade, put it on your regular circular saw, and slice away like you're cutting thick lumber.  If you have a nice saw, you might want to just buy a relatively cheap new one, or get a nice new one and retire your current one to rough work, because the motor will be eating a fair amount of grit.  I just cut up some pavers, and it was a piece of cake.  I was hesitant and thought such a cheap solution wouldn't work, but it worked great and the only issue is the amount of dust it generates.  Work with the wind at your back, wear a mask, and  use eye protection.  That's not some kind of liability disclaimer, just realistic advice.

There are three types of blades available at the borgs:  continuous rim, segmented rim, and "turbo".  I used the turbo type because it's supposed to be the best compromise between fast cutting and smooth cutting.  Just make sure it says it's for dry use or it won't last more than a couple of minutes.  You can also get the blades in smaller sizes for angle grinders and the like.